The Emory Bellard ALS Clinic

About ALS

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease of the nervous system, affecting more than 5,500 people in the United States annually.

The onset of ALS occurs in most cases between the ages of 40 and 72. Five to ten percent of ALS cases are genetically acquired, with the remaining portion having no known cause.

Early symptoms include muscle stiffness and weakness, with sometimes difficulty speaking and swallowing. Individuals are affected in various ways and the disease does not progress the same way in individuals. Patients are diagnosed through neurological testing and a study of their medical history.

ALS Treatment at Scott & White

Emory Bellard

The Emory Bellard ALS Clinic is housed within the Neurology Department at Scott & White Healthcare – Round Rock’s specialty clinic. Bearing the name of the famed Texas A&M football coach and former ALS patient, the clinic celebrates Coach Bellard’s life and offers hope to other ALS patients through generous funding from Coach Bellard’s wife, Susan, the Texas A&M Twelfth Man Kick-Off Team Foundation and other generous donors.

Since its establishment, the Emory Bellard ALS Clinic has treated hundreds of patients, who have come from as far as Oklahoma to seek the specialized care and support from a team of providers with specialized training to treat the disease.

Patients receive personalized, comprehensive care from a multidisciplinary team which includes clinicians from neurology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, respiratory therapy, nutrition and social services. Multiple specialists meet with the patient over the course of a single visit and their findings are available in real-time through Scott & White’s electronic medical record.

The Emory Bellard ALS Clinic is a full member in the North East ALS Consortium (NEALS), which coordinates all the ALS research trials in the country, giving our patients access to the most current clinical trials.